comune
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
'' in the
Province of Brescia
The Province of Brescia ( it, provincia di Brescia; Brescian: ) is a Province in the Lombardy administrative region of northern Italy. It has a population of some 1,265,964 (as of January 2019) and its capital is the city of Brescia.
With an ar ...
in the region of
Lombardy
Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
(northern Italy) on the banks of
Lake Garda
Lake Garda ( it, Lago di Garda or ; lmo, label=Eastern Lombard, Lach de Garda; vec, Ƚago de Garda; la, Benacus; grc, Βήνακος) is the largest lake in Italy.
It is a popular holiday location in northern Italy, about halfway between ...
, on which it has the longest promenade. The city was the
seat of government
The seat of government is (as defined by ''Brewer's Politics'') "the building, complex of buildings or the city from which a government exercises its authority".
In most countries, the nation’s capital is also seat of its government, thus that ...
of the
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic ( it, Repubblica Sociale Italiana, ; RSI), known as the National Republican State of Italy ( it, Stato Nazionale Repubblicano d'Italia, SNRI) prior to December 1943 but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò ...
from 1943 to 1945, with the ISR often being referred to as the "Salò Republic" (''Repubblica di Salò'' in Italian).
History
Roman period
Although legend has it that Salò has
Etruscan __NOTOC__
Etruscan may refer to:
Ancient civilization
*The Etruscan language, an extinct language in ancient Italy
*Something derived from or related to the Etruscan civilization
**Etruscan architecture
**Etruscan art
**Etruscan cities
** Etrusca ...
origins, recorded history starts with the founding by ancient Romans of the colony of ''Pagus Salodium''. There are numerous ruins of the Roman settlement, as shown by the Lugone
necropolis
A necropolis (plural necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'', literally meaning "city of the dead".
The term usually im ...
(in via Sant’Jago) and the findings (vase-flasks and funeral steles) in the Civic Archaeological Museum located at the ''Loggia della Magnifica Patria''.
Middle Ages
During the high Middle Ages, the city shared the same history as that of
Lombardy
Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
.
The origins of the municipality of Salò are barely known: its autonomy from
Brescia
Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo. ...
can be dated towards the end of the 13th century or the beginning of the next one, and the most ancient statues conserved by the city authorities are dated 1397.
Prior to 1334, the town was part of a sort of federation of town councils of the territory along the western lakeshore of Lake Garda (from Limone down to
Desenzano
Desenzano del Garda ( lmo, label=Brescian, Dezensà) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, Italy, on the southwestern shore of Lake Garda. It borders the communes of Castiglione delle Stiviere, Lonato, Padenghe sul Gard ...
) and the Valsabbia areas, called ''Riperia Lacus Gardae Brixiensis'' with the chef-lieu of Maderno.
The federation did not want to form an alliance with
Brescia
Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo. ...
nor with
Verona
Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...
deciding instead to request the help of Venice. Due to the distance of Venice, this strategy did not guarantee the independence of the area and, after a short protectorate under the rule of Venice (from 1336 to 1349), Salò became a stronghold of the Milanese Visconti family. In 1377 Beatrice della Scala, the wife of
Bernabò Visconti
Bernabò or Barnabò Visconti (1323 – 19 December 1385) was an Italian soldier and statesman who was Lord of Milan. Along with his brothers Matteo and Galeazzo II, he inherited the lordship of Milan from his uncle Giovanni. Later in 1355, he an ...
, wanted Salò to be the capital of the area, reducing the influence of Maderno: the city was provided with solid walls and the castle was built.
The ''Magnifica Patria''
On 13 May 1426, after a long period of war, the towns of western bank of the lake spontaneously joined the
Venetian Republic
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
, where they remained for the following three centuries: in the main square a column with the
Lion of St Mark
The Lion of Saint Mark, representing Mark the Evangelist, pictured in the form of a winged lion, is an aspect of the Tetramorph. On the pinnacle of St Mark's Cathedral he is depicted as holding a Bible, and surmounting a golden lion which is ...
, symbol of Venice, can be found still today.
Over the years, Venice gave large autonomy to this province of its ''
Stato da Tera
The ( vec, domini de terraferma or , ) was the hinterland territories of the Republic of Venice beyond the Adriatic coast in Northeast Italy. They were one of the three subdivisions of the Republic's possessions, the other two being the origina ...
'', that remained a ''de facto'' independent area and was given both the titles of ''Magnifica Patria'' (Magnificent Homeland) and ''Figlia primogenita della Serenissima'' (firstborn daughter of the
Serenissima
aSerenissima ( heMost Serene) may refer to:
Certain countries
* , a name for the Republic of Venice
* , the official Latin name of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Art, entertainment, and media
* La Serenissima (musical ensemble), a Britis ...
).
The general council of the ''Patria'' and its other institutions remained all centred in Salò (which gained importance and influence), although a governor was sent by the capital, who was given the titles of ''Provveditore'' (Superintendent) and ''Capitano della Riviera'' (Captain of the Riviera) and the power to act as penal judge for the whole Riviera (whilst civil justice was entrusted to a Brescian
podestà
Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...
who also resided in Salò). Besides farming and trade, the
linen
Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant.
Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...
industry developed in this period.
Napoleonic era and Risorgimento
In 1796 Napoleons troops fought with Austrian troops in Northern Italy during the First Italian campaign. The end of the Venetian republic (
Treaty of Campo Formio
The Treaty of Campo Formio (today Campoformido) was signed on 17 October 1797 (26 Vendémiaire VI) by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Philipp von Cobenzl as representatives of the French Republic and the Austrian monarchy, respectively. The treat ...
) ended Salò's position as the capital of the western riviera: on 1 January 1797, the provisional Brescian government instituted the Canton of Benaco with the capital of Benaco, "aforesaid Salò": the town joined the
Cisalpine Republic
The Cisalpine Republic ( it, Repubblica Cisalpina) was a sister republic of France in Northern Italy that existed from 1797 to 1799, with a second version until 1802.
Creation
After the Battle of Lodi in May 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte organized t ...
and then the
Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy (1805–1814; it, Regno d'Italia; french: Royaume d'Italie) was a kingdom in Northern Italy (formerly the Italian Republic) in personal union with Napoleon I's French Empire. It was fully influenced by revolutionary Franc ...
(1805–1814).
After the Napoleonic Era, Salò became part of the Austrian
Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia
The Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia ( la, links=no, Regnum Langobardiae et Venetiae), commonly called the "Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom" ( it, links=no, Regno Lombardo-Veneto, german: links=no, Königreich Lombardo-Venetien), was a constituent land ...
from 1815 to 1859.
In 1848 Salò joined the Milan revolution against the Habsburg rule and during the
Second Italian War of Independence
The Second Italian War of Independence, also called the Franco-Austrian War, the Austro-Sardinian War or Italian War of 1859 ( it, Seconda guerra d'indipendenza italiana; french: Campagne d'Italie), was fought by the Second French Empire and t ...
, there were many volunteers that fought with Garibaldi serving in the Piedmontese Army. On 18 June 1859, Garibaldi entered Salò and was welcomed by a happy crowd. Salò received the honorary title of ''Città'' (City) with a royal decree on 15 December 1860.
In 1866 the town was the headquarters of the Italian navy during the war with Austria. After the battle of Custoza the Austrians temporarily retook control of the town, but despite their victory and a naval defeat of the Italians at Lissa, the Austrians surrendered to the Prussians a month later and were forced to cede Venetia after the Treaty of Vienna.
Italian Social Republic
From 1943 to 1945 Salò was the ''de facto'' capital (
seat of government
The seat of government is (as defined by ''Brewer's Politics'') "the building, complex of buildings or the city from which a government exercises its authority".
In most countries, the nation’s capital is also seat of its government, thus that ...
) of
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
's
Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
-backed
puppet state
A puppet state, puppet régime, puppet government or dummy government, is a State (polity), state that is ''de jure'' independent but ''de facto'' completely dependent upon an outside Power (international relations), power and subject to its o ...
, the
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic ( it, Repubblica Sociale Italiana, ; RSI), known as the National Republican State of Italy ( it, Stato Nazionale Repubblicano d'Italia, SNRI) prior to December 1943 but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò ...
, also known as the Republic of Salò: Villa Castagna was the seat of the police headquarters, Villa Amedei was the head office of the
Ministry of Popular Culture
The Ministry of Popular Culture ( it, Ministero della Cultura Popolare, commonly abbreviated to MinCulPop) was a ministry of the Italian government from 1937 to 1944.
History
It was established by the Fascist government in 1922 as the ''Press ...
, Villa Simonini (nowadays Hotel Laurin) was the seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Stefani Agency, which distributed official press releases, was located in Via Brunati
Main sights
File:Salò 08.jpg, Salò main square
File:Porta dell'orologio Salò.jpg, ''Porta dell'Orologio'' (Clock's Town Gate)
File:Chiesa di S Maria Annunciata - Salò (Foto Luca Giarelli).jpg, Façade of the Duomo
File:Abside e Cristo Duomo di Salò.jpg, The interior of the Duomo
File:Museo di Salò MUSA lato Ovest Salò sul Lago di Garda.jpg, The local museum ''MUSA''
*The '' Duomo di Santa Maria Annunziata'' (cathedral of the Annunciation to Saint Mary), rebuilt in late Gothic style in the 15th century. It has a noteworthy Renaissance portal by
Gasparo Cairano
Gasparo Cairano, also known as Gasparo da Cairano, de Cayrano, da Milano, Coirano,This variant is not present in historical sources and was introduced in 1963 by Adriano Peroni (see Peroni, pp. 619–887), and accepted as canonical by later resea ...
and
Antonio Mangiacavalli
Antonio Mangiacavalli (15th century - 16th century) was an Italian sculptor of the Renaissance.
Biography
Born in Como, Antonio Mangiacavalli was active in Brescia
Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; v ...
, paintings by Zenone Veronese (16th century), a Polyptych of
Paolo Veneziano
Paolo Veneziano, also Veneziano Paolo or Paolo da Venezia (active by 1333, died after 1358) was a 14th-century painter from Venice, the "founder of the Venetian School" of painting, probably active between about 1321 and 1362.
's school and a ''Madonna and Saints'' by
Romanino
Girolamo Romani, known as Romanino (c. 1485 - c. 1566), was an Italian High Renaissance painter active in the Veneto and Lombardy, near Brescia. His long career brought forth several different styles.
Biography
Romani was born in Brescia. Hi ...
.
*The ''Palazzo della Magnifica Patria'' ("Palace of the Magnificent Fatherland", 16th century). The palace is home to the Historical Museum of the Azure Ribbon, an exhibition of documents on Renaissance history, on Italy's colonial wars, the Spanish Civil War and the Resistance against Fascism.
*The Communal Palace is the seat of the Civic Archaeological Museum, with findings from the ancient ''Salodium''.
*The local museum ''MUSA'', opened in 2015.
Seismicity
The area around the lake is a
seismic zone
In seismology, a seismic zone or seismic belt is an area of seismicity potentially sharing a common cause. It may also be a region on a map for which a common areal rate of seismicity is assumed for the purpose of calculating probabilistic ground ...
. In 1877 a meteorological observatory was established under the supervision Prof. Pio Bettoni, to whom it was later dedicated. In 1889, a geophysical observatory (seismic station) was added, which became an important scientific research centre after the 1901 earthquake (5.5 Mw, intensity VII–VIII, no fatalities, buildings damaged). Another earthquake occurred in 2004 (5.1 Mw, intensity VII–VIII, nine injuries, many buildings damaged).
Education
Schools include:
* Sezione Primavera "Paola di Rosa"
* Preschools:
** Scuola dell’Infanzia Trivero
** Scuola dell’Infanzia Montessori
** Scuola dell’Infanzia Paola di Rosa
* Elementary schools:
** Scuola Primaria T. Olivelli
** Scuola Primaria S. Giuseppe
* Junior high schools:
** Scuola Secondaria 1º Grado D'Annunzio
** Scuola Secondaria 1º Grado E. Medi
* Liceo Scientifico E. Fermi – Senior high school
The commune has a library, the Biblioteca Civica di Salò.Biblioteca " Salò. Retrieved on 26 February 2017.
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
(') assisted by a legislative body, the ', and an executive body, the '. Since 1995 the mayor and members of the ' are directly elected together by resident citizens, while from 1945 to 1995 the mayor was chosen by the legislative body. The ' is chaired by the mayor, who appoints others members, called '. The offices of the ' are housed in a building usually called the ' or '.
Since 1995 the mayor of Salò is directly elected by citizens, originally every four, then every five years. The current mayor is Gianpietro Cipani ( FI), re-elected on 26 May 2019 with the 48.3% of the votes.
List of notable residents
*
Gasparo da Salò
Gasparo da Salò (20 May 154214 April 1609) is the name given to Gasparo Bertolotti, one of the earliest violin makers and an expert double bass player. Around 80 of his instruments are known to have survived to the present day: violins (small ...
, one of the earliest violin makers
*
Pietro Bellotto
Pietro Bellotti (1625–1700) was an Italian painter active in the Baroque period.
Life and Work
Bellotti was born in Volciano di Salò in 1627 (1625 according to Orlandi), he gained fame as a painter of portraits and heads of characters. He was ...
Ferdinando Bertoni
Ferdinando Bertoni (15 August 1725 – 1 December 1813) was an Italian composer and organist.
Early years
He was born in Salò, and began his music studies in Brescia, not far from his birthplace. Around 1740 he went to Bologna, where he studied ...
, Italian composer and organist
*
Marco Enrico Bossi
Marco Enrico Bossi (25 April 1861 – 20 February 1925) was an Italian organist, composer, improviser and teacher.
Life
Bossi was born in Salò, a town in the province of Brescia, Lombardy, into a family of musicians. His father, Pietro, was ...
, Italian composer and organist
*
Sante Cattaneo
Sante Cattaneo or Santo Cattaneo (8 August 1739 – 1819) was an Italian painter of the Neoclassic period, mainly active in Brescia.
He was also called ''Santino''. He was born at Salò, Italy. His parents traveled away and consigned him at age t ...
, 19th century Painter
*
Luigi Comencini
Luigi Comencini (; 8 June 1916 – 6 April 2007) ''The Guardian'' was an Italian
, Italian film director
*
Angelo Zanelli
Angelo Zanelli (1879–1942) was an Italian sculptor.
He was born at San Felice del Benaco, near Brescia. In 1904 he moved to Rome, where he met Felice Carena. He won the contract for the realization of sculptures in the large Monument to V ...
Alessio Lorandi
Alessio Lorandi (born 8 September 1998) is an Italian racing driver.
Career
Karting
Lorandi began his racing career in karting in 2007. Lorandi won the Karting Federation Junior championship in 2013. He remained in karting until 2014.
Formul ...
, racing driver
*
Leonardo Lorandi
Leonardo Lorandi (born 20 July 2000) is an Italian racing driver who was the 2018 Italian F4 vice-champion and last competed for JD Motorsport in the 2019 edition of the Formula Renault Eurocup. In 2019 he was part of the Renault Sport Academy ...
, racing driver
Gallery
File:Palazzo comunale Piazza della Vittoria porticato Salò.jpg, Arcades
File:Palazzo liberty Lungolago Zanardelli Salò.jpg,
Liberty style
Liberty style ( it, Stile Liberty) was the Italian variant of Art Nouveau, which flourished between about 1890 and 1914. It was also sometimes known as ''stile floreale'', ''arte nuova'', or ''stile moderno''. It took its name from Arthur Lasenby ...
architecture
File:Villino a Salò Lago di Garda.jpg, Private house
File:Lago di Garda - Salò - Via San Carlo - ICE Photocompilation Viewing from East to ESE.jpg, St. Charles statue
File:Monumento a Giuseppe Zanardelli B a Salò.jpg, Monument to
Giuseppe Zanardelli
Giuseppe Zanardelli (29 October 1826 26 December 1903) was an Italian jurist and political figure. He served as the Prime Minister of Italy from 15 February 1901 to 3 November 1903. An eloquent orator, he was also a Grand Master freemason. Zan ...
File:Porta dell'Orologio a Salò.jpg, The clock tower
File:Golfo e filare di cipresso comune in Via Tavini a Salò.jpg, Main shore